LOCATION/TYPE

NEWS HOME

[ exact phrase in "" • results by date ]

[ Google-powered • results by relevance ]


Archive
RSS

Add NWW headlines to your site (click here)

Get weekly updates

WHAT TO DO
when your community is targeted

RSS

RSS feeds and more

Keep Wind Watch online and independent!

Donate via Paypal

Donate via Stripe

Selected Documents

All Documents

Research Links

Alerts

Press Releases

FAQs

Campaign Material

Photos & Graphics

Videos

Allied Groups

Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005.

News Watch Home

‘No escaping’ impact of windfarms in Scotland 

Credit:  Written by Tim Pauling | Energy Voice | 01/05/2015 | www.energyvoice.com ~~

A new map shows the full extent of the “industrialisation” of the north-east by the windfarm industry.

Produced for the John Muir Trust, it displays “zones of theoretical visual impact” of existing windfarms if there were no trees or buildings in the way.

Huge swathes of Aberdeenshire and Moray – and practically all of Banff and Buchan – are affected.

Campaigners said the map highlights there is practically no escaping the intrusion of windfarms and single turbines on the landscape.

They are now calling for changes to the planning rules and for greater clarity from the Scottish Government over how wild areas and scenic areas are protected.

The renewable energy industry dismissed the map as a “gross oversimplification” that “makes a mockery” of planning assessments.

The map, which uses a maximum visible distance of 18.64 miles (30kms), has re-ignited the battle over how many windfarms and turbines should be allowed.

Derek Ross, of the Save Brown Muir campaign, said: “It is absolutely ridiculous. There will be nowhere in Moray that you cannot see a wind turbine from.

“You can see wind turbines in Moray from the top of Cairngorm.”

Mr Ross, of Glen Rothes, said there used to be a beautiful view of Lochnagar from the vitrified fort on Tap O’ North, but “now there are three huge wind turbines in the way”.

He added: “It is so sad they are doing this to our countryside. It is so short-sighted because in 20 years time no one will want to know them because they will be a redundant technology. They are industrialising our landscape.”

Nick Orpwood, of Concerned About Wind Turbines in Aberdeenshire, said when people complain about all the turbines on the drive between Turriff and Banff he points out they are just the ones approved two years ago.

Mr Orpwood said whichever way he looks from his house at Middle Cairncake, two miles east of Cuminestown, there are turbines and that was now common for the whole area.

He believes a major problem is that the planning rules stipulate that only people living 66 metres (72yds) of a proposed turbine have to be notified.

“If someone is going to put up something like a turbine then they need to actually ensure that anyone in a three mile radius is advised it is in the planning system so they have the opportunity to make their voice heard,” Mr Orpwood said.

John Low, John Muir Trust policy officer believes the Scottish Government must come clean over wild land as current regulations state it will be protected unless there are mitigating factors.

Even if wild land is protected, windfarms outside of designated areas can have a huge impact, he said.

Mr Low is concerned at the cumulative effect of the number of wind farms and of turbines constructed, approved, at application or in scoping stages.

“If they all go ahead there will be over 900 turbines ringing the Cairngorm National Park,” he said.

Source:  Written by Tim Pauling | Energy Voice | 01/05/2015 | www.energyvoice.com

This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.

The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.

Wind Watch relies entirely
on User Funding
   Donate via Paypal
(via Paypal)
Donate via Stripe
(via Stripe)

Share:

e-mail X FB LI TG TG Share


News Watch Home

Get the Facts
CONTACT DONATE PRIVACY ABOUT SEARCH
© National Wind Watch, Inc.
Use of copyrighted material adheres to Fair Use.
"Wind Watch" is a registered trademark.

 Follow:

Wind Watch on X Wind Watch on Facebook

Wind Watch on Linked In Wind Watch on Mastodon